When he graduates from law school this year, Joseph Fowler will come out knowing how to follow a corporate spreadsheet as well as look up case law. Enrolled at the University of Virginia, Fowler is part of a new wave of law students who believe a strong business background is critical to their success as lawyers. "It just helps you hit the ground faster," he says.

Stanford Law School is featured in a U.S. News & World Report story about law schools adding more practical offerings to their curricula, especially in the area of business. Dean Larry Kramer is quoted:
"It's pretty clear that to be a successful lawyer today you need to know more than the content of the law and how to argue about it," says Larry Kramer, dean of the Stanford Law School.
In order to involve students in a more diversified curriculum that allows them to integrate their law classes with classes from other disciplines, the law school modified not only its calendar but also the students' ability to get credits.